Phillip Ellis
Star – Stephen McHattie
Genre – Horror
Run Time – 1 hr 33 minutes
Certificate – 18
Country –Canada
Awards – 1 Wins & 10 Nominations
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So, a Canadian horror that only took $32,000 dollars at the movies folks? OK, it’s not as bad as its box office and above average for what it is so don’t let that put you off. Lovers of the horror genre will appreciate the effort here and hopefully enjoy this quasi zombie psycho tale.
It’s from Canadian Bruce McDonald and directing a likewise experienced Maple Leaf cast, star Stephen McHattie acting in over 200 film and TV productions to date. 7-years-old next month. His co-star is real life partner and wife Lisa Houle.
“Pontypool” was produced as both motion picture and as a radio play, influenced by Orson Welles‘ infamous radio production of “The War of the Worlds.”, that terrified America back in the day. The radio play was broadcast on the BBC’s World Service website in tribute in 2008. The play was just one hour long.
===Cast===
Stephen McHattie … Grant Mazzy
Lisa Houle … Sydney Briar
Georgina Reilly … Laurel-Ann Drummond
Hrant Alianak … Dr. Mendez
Rick Roberts … Ken Loney (voice)
Daniel Fathers … Nigel Healing
Beatriz Yuste … Nancy Freethy
Tony Burgess … Tony (Lawrence)
Boyd Banks … Jay (Osama)
===Plot===
Ageing ‘shockjock’ Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) has just arrived for his regular late night slot in the small town of Pontypool, Ontario, interrupted in the car park of the radio station by a lady who bangs on his car window and repeats the word ‘blood’ three times, all very strange.
Inside and snug with the mic at his mouth he is soon into his rhythm on air, edgy, inconsistent and gravel voiced, Station manager Sydney Blair (Lisa Houle) familiar with his ways. Then young production assistant Laurel-Ann Drummond (Georgina Reilly) takes a call of a disturbance at a doctor’s surgery two kilometers away. It seems some sort of riot has broken out and a Dr Mendez (Hrant Alianak) at the center of it.
Their reporter on the scene (Rick Roberts) begins to report gory deaths as the deranged crowd close in on his position. The station is soon contacted by the BBC as the ‘event’ makes national news. Something very strange is going on out there and the mob is heading to the radio station in hot pursuit of Dr Mendez who dives through the window to try and tell the station what the hell is going on. It’s some sort of zombie outbreak but not your normal one in anyway.
—Quote—
Grant Mazzy: Do we really want to provide a genocide with elevator music?
===Results===
It’s not bad although nothing special and gets rather silly and irritating at the end. Its premise of what the zombie outbreak is all about is rather nuts. It starts well though as we enjoy the radio station set up and the unfolding chaos outside, exploring that disconnect that becomes reality but then chokes on its bold – if pretentious – ideas a bit.
The unknown but experienced cast is good and our gravel voiced radio host holds the film together with his vulnerabilities and dulcet tones. Our zombies are medium fast moving biters although not a great deal of zombie action in this. It’s more psycho babble than ‘munch em up’. No zombies are staked or decapitated and more comedy than fear.
Or does get edgy for a bit but once the reveal of how the virus works and spreads it all becomes rather risible and fingers are tapped near the fast forward button. It certainly doesn’t know how to end. I’m sure it does explore some intelligent ideas somewhere but for me, like Shakespeare pentameter delivery, not for me and I needed more blood and guts pal.
===RATINGS===
Imdb.com –6.6 /10.0 (25.112votes)
Rottentomatos.com – 84% critic’s approval
Metacritic.com – 54% critic’s approval
===Trailer===
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226681/videoplayer/vi4085842457?ref_=tt_pv_vi_aiv_1
